Tech Tuesday: Teacher’s Pets, Nintendo Disguises and Lobbyists!

Welcome to another ‘digest’ edition of Tech Tuesday, where you can read what went down in the world of technology for the week that you may have missed all in one short read! We have been told it’s even bathroom friendly!

Facebook Launching New Commenting System

Facebook is set to launch a new comment platform to rival the likes of Disqus and other third party platforms. What does this mean for you? Well, you already have the ability to comment on a page, such as YakkityYaks.com using your Facebook account, but this would allow so much more. For example, one would only have to log in once to the platform so as to not have to keep doing so site to site. It will also show all comments in a threaded format and be voted up (liked). Comments can also then be synced to the sites Facebook page (like ours) meaning that a comment made here, will also show up on our Facebook page and vice versa.

It’s interesting, and can eventually take Facebook from just a destination to total domination of your online experience, following you from site to site as you surf. Along with it, it will be able to track your online presence I would imagine. Facebook confirms it is working on a new commenting system, but says that it is an update to the existing plugin and not a new product. We shall see.

CSI Facebook Game Offers a Bonus

Thursday night’s episode of CSI will have a little extra for fans this week: clues to unlock in-game bonuses. Prior to the airing of the show, the Facebook Page for CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Crime City will pose a question to fans that can only be answered by watching the episode. This new feature will run through sweeps, so basically, through February.

Grey’s Anatomy getting Interactive Viewing on iPad

Today, ABC released “Grey’s Anatomy Sync” for iPad, a free app the promises a more interactive TV viewing experience. The app is designed to be a companion to the show itself, and the first episode to utilize it will be run this Thursday, February 3rd. It will show interactive content in real time, based on what is happening on the show.

Called Grey’s Anatomy Sync, the App is powered byNielsen’s Media-Sync Platform and will showcase interactive content using the microphone on the iPad to keep the app in sync with the show.

Using the audio allows the app to figure out where the user is in the program and offer up corresponding content. This also let’s those of us that record the show to still get the same interactive experience as if we were watching it live. Interesting concept that I think could grow into big time uses.

Google Dishes Out for Lobbyists

It has been learned that Google dished out an astounding $5.16 million dollars on lobbyists in 2010, a 29% increase over the $4 million they spent in the previous year.

What are they lobbying for? Well, issues like net neutrality, online privacy and online tracking. The money they spent in 2010 was more than Yahoo, Facebook and Apple spent combined.

The amount of money has some people worried, since the issues above are about YOUR privacy and online choices, and you can bet they aren’t on your side. The huge increase most definitely shows how Google is becoming more lofty in Washington, peddling their influence in policy decisions amongst the other oversized corporate big boys that don’t have your interest at heart.

Today’s Lesson: Be the Teacher’s Pet, even on Facebook

A High School student in California has been suspended from school after calling his teacher a “fat ass who should stop eating fast food, and is a douche bag.” The teacher did give him too much Biology homework apparently, so I guess it was called for?

Anyway, most believe that common sense dictates you just shouldn’t be doing that, however, a court ruling from last November had a federal agency declare that Facebook updates are protected speech, when a worker got fired for making derogatory remarks about their supervisor online. So, ACLU is taking a closer look.

Now, I agree that it should be protected speech, as long as it’s not threatening. However, the parent in me wants to smack the kid over the head and take away all things tech in his life for awhile, until he learns respect, manners, and to just stop being a (as “Red” would have called him on ‘That 70’s Show’)… a dumbass.

Cool Geek Gadget of the Week

Alright, I want one of these REAL bad. Yeah, it’s pretty geeky, but oh so cool. Is it an old NES Cartridge? No, it’s just a disguise! These are external 500gb or 1tb hard drives designed to look like the games of yore offered by 8BitMemory. They are nostalgic, they are useful, and they are geek to the maximum. For the younger crowd, they have Game Boy Advance 4gb Flash Drives. They even have gift packs, complete with a 500gb USB hard drive, mouse pad, cartridge sleeve and case. Perfect for the geek in all of us!

That’s it for this week’s Tech Tuesday! Anything I missed that you have seen? Are you already gone, buying an NES Hard Drive? Will Facebook take over the world? Will Google stop them with their lobbyists? Do you want to smack that kid over the head or do you want to post something about your boss/teacher/mother online? Did I ask enough questions? Sound off below!

Original founder of the Yak back in the stone age of 2008. When she is not writing and enjoying her online world, Kasey can be found dancing at the beach, climbing Mount Everest, and resting in the shade under the old oak tree... Well, maybe just resting. To read more about Kasey, visit the Yak Staff Page.